Front axle for automobiles.



A. P. BRUSH.

FRGNT AXLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

AFPLiCATlON FLED'IAN. 21.1915.r

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

.ALANSOJv P. BRUSH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FRONT AxLn ronIanTormentas.l

Specification of Letters Patentg.

, Patented oct. 3,1916.

' Application filed January 21, 1916. Serial No.- 73,283.

To all whom t mag/concern Be' it known that l, ALNsoN PJBRUSH, a citizen of the United States` residing at Detroit,v in the county oiWayne and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful improvement Front Axles for Automobiles, ofvhicli` the following is a l full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a front axle for automobiles, in which the necessary capacity' to withstand the strains of use, yis secured .by the employment of a relatively small amount of properly disposed metal; or in other words, to provide an ex'- tremely light weight axle which is sufficiently strong for practical purposes.

The invention consists in the construction andicombination of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter described and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of onc-half'of afront axle in which the present invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a plan view of so much of the axle as is shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively vertical sections in the planes indicated by the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 on Fig. 1.

The axle body A is made from a single piece ol sheet steel 'pressed into substantially the shape shown, that is to say, its middle part ais a U-section which', when the axleis completed, will be inverted. The ends a', a', .are tubular; which form is produced by drawing together and connecting as by welding the lower edges of the inverted U-shaped member. A spring seat C may be connected with saidI axle body near each end thereof as shown. All of the body outside of the spring seats, that isto say, adjacent the ends thereof, must be tubular; ,and this tubular construction extends inward beyond the spring seats as far as'necessary to enable the lower edges to be conveniently brought together and welded toform the tubular end portions l`outside of the spring seats. B represents the niounting for the steer# ing knuckle D of a front wheel E. One of these knuckle inountings is provided at each l end of the axle; and cachot these ,mountings is formed with a shank which projects into the tubular end of the axle body, and is tightly fitted thereto, and is rigidly secured in and to the end portions of said body by rivets ZJ or other suitable means.

The particular forni of the knuckle mounting which carries the shank Z1 may be varied to whatever extent desired so long as'it per-` mits the knuckle to be suitably mounted thereon on a substantially vertical axisr en a front axle is in use as part offen automobile, the parts thereof between ithe spring seats are subjected to vertical strains, and to some horizontal strains, which are, however, very much less than the vertical. strains. The U-shaped 'section of the axle as shown is well calculated to resist these strains. The parts of the axle outside of the spring seats are not only subjected to these strains, but are also subjected to torsional strains. For this reason it is that these end parts of the axle body are made tubular. When so constructed they will be suiiiciently strong to eifectually resistthese ystrains in practical use. y A

The particular construction shown in the drawing is, as will be evident, designed for.

use with longitudinally exten ded leaf springs which serve to connect the axle with the chassis frame. There is, however, a Well known type of axle, such as is used on Ford automobiles, in which the connection between the axle is made, by a semi-ellipticnl spring which isfastened at its middle to the chassis frame, and is fastened at its ends to the axle by means of suitable' shackles. When this connection is employed there is also an adjunctive connection, namely, a forked strut rod. This is connected at its apex with the chassis frame, while its tWo arms are connected with the axle. When this form ot connection between a front axle and a chassis frame is eiployed,'the torsional strains incident to use continue along the axle to the` pointswhere this forked strut rod is attached. Therefore, in forming an axle .which embodies this invention for use with the above referred to means for connecting the axle with the body, it is necessary to continue the lltubular end portions of the axlebody toward the center to or past the points at which the strut rod is connectved with `the axle.

lmiddle part which is of inverted U-section,

and having ends which are tubular and are made tubular by drawing into Contact and uniting the. lower edges of said inverted U- shaped body member, and steering,r knuckle mountings which are rigid with and looated 5 outside of said tubular ends.

3. A front axle for automobiles, having a middle part which is of vinverted U-sect-ion, and having ends which are tubular and are made tubular by drawing into Contact and 10 uniting the lower edges of said inverted U- shaped body member, and steering knuckie molmtings haring' Shanks which are fitted. into :md ure secured to said tubular ends of the axle body member.

In testimon)v whereof, hereunto aiiix my 15 signature in the presence of two witnesses. ALANSON P. BRUSH. Witnesses E. L. Tuuus'rox, E. B. GILCHRIST. 

